Continuing Mounjaro...part 8

[ObsidianTree]

Please note: Mounjaro can only be taken if your BMI is above 30.

Pointers for newbies:

1 - For taking your first dose you need to twist the pen a lot to get to 1! The instructions say prime each time you take a dose, but actually Eli Lilly have confirmed you only need to prime for the first ever use of a pen. (The video posted says every use, but this isn't true!)

2 - When injecting, hold down the button until the number goes back to 0. Once at 0, keep holding down the button and count to 5 with the needle still in so no medication is lost!

3 - Your first dose may not have an immediate effect. For some people the effects build slowly. It could take 3 or 4 days to notice anything, it could take a few weeks. Some people don't feel the meds working until they get to 5mg. See titration chart which shows how the medication builds up in your system. Also below you can plot the effect of your doses.
https://glp1plotter.com/

4 - 2.5mg isn't a therapeutic dose, meaning you aren’t meant to lose on 2.5mg. You need to start on 2.5mg to get your body used to the drug and gradually introduce it into your system and get used to any side effects.

5 - Not everyone loses a lot in the first few weeks. Don't feel discouraged if you don't lose a lot initially. Again, you might need a higher dose to start losing. Also, inches can be lost without anything showing on the scales. Start your journey by taking measurements and check them as you go along.

6 - If you do lose a lot in the first few weeks, please don't assume you will continue losing at this rate. The first few weeks it is usually water weight that is lost, after than a good weight loss is about 2lbs a week. Some weeks you might not lose anything, but this is ok too…again, taking measurements might show inches lost instead.

7 - Constipation, coldness, nausea, diarrhea, headaches, aches, are side effects. There may be be other side effects also. Read info here :

www.medicines.org.uk/emc/product/15481/pil#about-medicine

8 - Once you take your first dose you can choose to keep your pen in the fridge or somewhere else. It's up to you.

9 - Don't reuse any needles as this could risk infection. If you damage a needle or one isn't working, you can buy a pack of about 100 spares. https://www.chemist-4-u.com/carepoint-pen-needles-31g-4mm-pack-of-100?gclid=Cj0KCQjwiYOxBhC5ARIsAIvdH51rLZBVFQxuvS7mDJooegtK8BMiyT0PwREMRHhH_1atfQIo8TEbsmkaAkA0EALw_wcB

Also there is a 5th dose in each pen. To extract it you can either try a hard twist or use an insulin needle.
https://medbasic.co.uk/bd-micro-fine-30g-1ml-syringes-needles

10 - Protein is important as eating less protein can cause muscle wastage and hair loss. Try to have at least 100g a day.

11 - Some natural sources of protein:
https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/best-sources-protein
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/321522#high-protein-foods

12 - You can use supplements, some that people use are magnesium(for sleep and constipation), protein(to reduce muscle wastage), collagen (skin elasticity), aloe vera(for constipation), electrolytes.

13 - Drink lota of water. Water helps with the weight loss. Drink at least 2ltrs a day. Preferably 3ltrs.

14 - Don't be afraid to feel hungry. It is entirely normal and healthy to feel hungry. Just eat something. Treat it as an opportunity to start good habits around hunger. Eat a nice balanced snack or a meal if it's a meal time. It's ok.

15 - Does it makes any difference where you inject? yes it does! Drugs get absorbed at different rates depending on injection site

In order of fastest absorption, it goes:
• Tummy
• Arms
• Thighs
furthet reading about injection sites and the effects: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/316618

16 - Abdominal side-effects are much easier to control with smaller meals. For example, having 4 small meals in the day vs 2 big meals can have an improvement in nausea and burps.

17 - You can track your calories / protein on apps such as My fitnessPal, Carb Manager or Nutracheck. Nutracheck is quite useful and easy to find foods /build recipes.

18 - Some of the places you can order from are:

• MedExpress 2.5mg and 5mg. £149.99. 7.5mg £169. Use code STARTNOW. Ask for other codes if that doesn't work.
• The Family Chemist 2.5mg and 5mg -£149. 7.5mg £169.
• Simple online pharmacy - £159 2.5mg £179 5mg
• Bolt pharmacy 2.5mg £125, 5mg £179. 7.5mg £189
• Asda 2.5mg and 5mg £184. 7.5mg £189
• Boots £219 +
• Chemist4U £179 +
• Superdrugs

19 - If you want to switch suppliers, make sure you have pics of your Mounjaro box with your name and dose. This will come in useful when other suppliers ask for evidence.

1st thread:

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/weight_loss_chat/5007744-mourjano-starting-soon?page=1

2nd thread:

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/weight_loss_chat/5028495-continuing-murnjaropart-2?page=1

3rd thread:

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/weight_loss_chat/5037623-continuing-mounjaropart-3?page=1

4th thread:
https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/weight_loss_chat/5044316-continuing-mounjaropart-4?page=1

Thread for newbies just starting out:

http://www.mumsnet.com/Talk/weight_loss_chat/5057475-mounjaro-and-wegovy-newbies-april-2024

Yes, it's 6 weeks because if you've been off it for 2 weeks or more then they have to put you back on the lowest dose.

As they have no way of knowing other than your last prescription date they say not to order more than 6 weeks later or they will have to put you back on 2.5mg, happened to someone on here, was refused a higher dose when they ordered after 6 weeks and 2 days.

I think they were able to sort it as they had both their previous boxes so were able to show that the second was ordered early as they switched suppliers but still, who wants the hassle!

Bloody hell, I'm still suffering from dose 2 of 7.5. I have had success of a sort with Imodium and one co-codamol but when it wears off it comes back and this is day 4. I feel sick all the time and have barely eaten. Managed a few bland bits here and there.
I can't do this again next week so will drop back to 5 I think (I'm nervous to take any really)
In my weakened state on the sofa, has anyone got an idea of how many clicks would be for 5 in a 7.5 dose? 40 ish?
Nervous to go to work tomorrow in this pathetic state.

60 clicks is the full does and 5mg is two thirds of 7.5mg so it would be 40 clicks.

Sorry you're feeling crap! Maybe drop back to 5 and then increase a bit each week from there?

Thank you @lurkylurk I thought it must be around that.

Is it 45 clicks of the 5mg pen for a 3.75 dose? Thinking about doing that instead of going straight to 5 as I know some people have found the jump from 2.5 a bit much

Thank you, means a lot. Been sleeping most of today, have woken feeling not quite so hopeless, which is something.

My dog's been looking after me, bless her, so going to make her favourite liver cake as a thank you. And yes, it is as disgusting as it sounds, but the smile she gives me will be worth it.

Thank you. 💐

Gosh that's worrying.

Definitely just stick to 5mg for next shot. Considering the half life, when you took the 2nd 7.5mg you would have still had about 3.75mg left of the first 7.5mg in your system. So would have been up over 10mg + the half life of previous doses etc. Maybe your body couldn't cope with going up that high just yet.

So doing the math, by the end of the week you will have about 6mg ish left in your system, so if you took 5mg it might be about 11mg in your system. So maybe go safe with 2.5mg so you don't top up too much? Then if 3 days later you feel it's not enough, do another 2.5mg or 5mg?

Hope you feel better soon

Weekends are usually tough for me diet wise. Free time, feeling like a treat and usually I indulge in alcohol and naughty food. Well I haven’t at all this weekend. I’ve stuck to my meal plan, felt satisfied and made sure I’ve drunk lots of water. Without food noise it’s almost easy! (3rd dose 2.5 10 May). Long may this continue. I hope everyone else has had successful weekends!

I've moved from 5mg to 7.5mg on Friday, I've had a huge increase in appetite supression, but also spike in anxiety, and generally feeling down. I felt like 5mg barely touched the sides but 7.5mg has hit me like a bus!

Well done for all the losses today 😊. Great work team 💪

Hope thats a good thing!

What do people mean when talking about clicks? My Mounjaro pen doesn't click.

Good idea @ObsidianTree I presumed by 7 days that it was practically gone. I might even leave it a couple of extra days

They aren't really clicks as such, just the little markings as you unscrew the full dose. There are 60 altogether

I took my first 7.5 dose yesterday morning after a 5mg bonus dose so a 6mg last week. I am quite stressed about a couple of things at the moment and work is always stressful but I have felt on the verge of panic attacks at times. On the plus side it has got me really focused on what I can do to get on top of the things that were causing me stress. But having over 10mg in my body plus the stress has killed my appetite.

Hopefully I'll manage a salad later as all I have had today is a small pasty and a magnum (was with a friend who doesn't know about the MJ).

Yes,it is

What's everyone having for dinner? I ate too much yesterday at a wedding. I didn't fancy breakfast, so didn't have any. Had lunch (not much) but still don't fancy dinner. I've slept most of today too.

Any suggestions? I would be most grateful.

@Baldatbirth chicken salad.

That's interesting to hear @Choux, I'm feeling very similar.

Not had this on any other dose increases (that I've noticed) but this feels profoundly different.

I'd better see a result on the scales come Friday, to make it worth it 😂

When you twist the pen it clicks, so 60 clicks is a full dose

Email from Slimming clinic ( I use med express but must have filled out a form for Slimming Clinic!)
10mg in Tomo.

How backwards is primark sizing?!

I bought some paper bag style light denim jeans last week, I got away with a size 10 thanks to the elasticated waistband (I'm definitely not a regular size 10 - I'm somewhere between a 12 and a 14 now, having gone down from being between a 14 and a 16. As I still have weight to lose I opted for the smaller size)

However, I have another pair of jeans here that I bought a month or so before I started MJ. They're from 'the primark edit' range which a bit better quality than the usual stuff. These ones are a size 18. I couldn't get my arse into a 16 or 14 in these jeans.

Both pairs fit. Make it make sense 🤦🏼‍♀️

• Edited to make a correction -

Here are the offending jeans.

Light coloured ones are a size 10
Dark coloured ones are an 18

How?!

@NextPrimeMinister I feel better right now but between Saturday morning and this morning I am down 2.3lb. I expect if I get some appetite back as the week goes on then some of it will go back on. So far I have been averaging 1.5lb a week loss.